For
I Am Not Ashamed Of The Gospel, Because It Is
God's
Power For Salvation To Everyone Who Believes,
First
To The Jew, And Also To The Greek.
Scripture
Romans
1
16 For
I am not ashamed of the gospel, because
it is God’s power for salvation to
everyone who believes, first to the Jew, and
also to the Greek.
Observation
When
I was in high school I was not a Christian. I did not surrender my
life to Christ until I was 19. I was doing things then that I am
ashamed of now. I only knew one Christian on the football team (I am
sure that there must have been others) and evidently I knew that this
fellow was a Christian because he was not ashamed of his faith in
Christ.
I
don't know why and I can't remember the details, but I do remember
making fun of him for his faith. It was probably because he wouldn't
go drinking on the weekend and he wouldn't get drunk like a bunch of
us were doing.
I
don't know if it bothered him too much back then but it sure bothers
me a lot now when I think about what I did. Oh, now I realize how
wrong I was and just how right he was! He was not ashamed of his
relationship with Jesus Christ. And I sure admire him now.
Today,
I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ either. And if someone wants
to make fun of me because of my faith I will wear their ridicule as a
crown, hopefully just as my football buddy did way back then.
A
lot of my old high school football buddies are now living for Jesus
Christ. Every time I hear of an old high school friend who is now
calling Jesus their Lord and Savior it makes me smile.
John
3:16-18
16 “For
God loved the world in this way: He gave His One and
Only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not
perish but have eternal life.
17 For
God did not send His Son into the world that He might condemn the
world, but that the world might be saved through Him.
18 Anyone
who believes in Him is not condemned, but anyone who does not believe
is already condemned, because he has not believed in the name of
the One and Only Son of God.
Application
I
will not be ashamed of my relationship with Jesus Christ. He is my
Lord and my Savior.
How
about you? Would the way you are living
make someone smile or frown? Only Jesus, and a personal relationship
with Him will make the difference.
Luke
9:25-26
26 For
whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, the Son of Man will be ashamed
of him when He comes in His glory and that of the Father and the
holy angels.
Prayer
Heavenly
Father, don't ever let me be afraid to share my faith with those that
come across my path. Thank You for helping me realize that my
football buddy was so right and that I was so wrong. Thank You for
giving him the strength to stand up against being made fun of for his
faith and for being a witness to me even to this day, more than 50
years later. Don't let me do things that I will be ashamed of, or
that will harm my testimony and that will hurt my ability to be a
witness for you. I know that what I say and what I do both matter to
You. And I know that my words and my actions can have eternal
consequences.
Daily
Bible Reading: 1 Kings 6; 2 Chronicles 3; Psalms 97; Romans 1
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